ALL THE GOOD STUFF

Here you can find our designs and understand the way we think and the way we do our job. Our projects are our business card, if you like them do not hesitate to write or give us a call. And there is no matter in which part of our planet do you live.

TALKS ABOUT US

The extension of Cat and Mouse bar in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv was a playground and experimentation which has lent the young architectural studio 8 ½, making a work on the superposition of the materials by combining the old and new. During the renovation, the rediscovery of old coatings completely reoriented the initial draft of the architectural studio, which is facing a new concept based on the development of the different layers of materials and textures. The old floor patina of time has been preserved. The massive marble tables and steel contrast sharply with the chairs that were recovered in old school and classes on which one can still see the scribbles of students who have busy during school hours.

MUUUZ

muuuz - magazine > inside

We're totally nerding out over this A+-winning pop-up, which combines our love for adaptive re-use, architectural ruins, and ... books!
For a week last fall, studio 8 1/2 converted a 16th-century Turkish bath, or hammam, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, into a contemporary art library, bringing international acclaim to this largely forgotten monument. Instead of the standard desks and chairs (too stuffy!) seating consisted of colorful pillows arranged on a wooden ramp, which added to the exotic old-world ambiance. The freshly cut wood and bare light bulbs brought some modern minimalism to the decaying architecture of the monument.

Architizer A+ Awards

Raquel Laneri; Managing Editor

Injecting a whole load of new into a very old space can be a risky business, but in the case of the CONtemporary Library, the gamble has paid off in spades. A Turkish bath in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, is the setting for this installation – a wonderfully evocative, almost eerie vault dating back to the 16th Century. As it’s a temporary installation, designers studio 8½ couldn’t sink their teeth in too far, instead using the central area to construct a stage on which the library sits; only the nooks and crannies of the old walls are augmented by subtle lighting. All around them, suspended, naked bulbs cast shadows and lend a very atmospheric effect to the ancient cavern. Who says libraries are dead?

WeHeart

Rob Wilkes; Executive Editor

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OUR HISTORY

studio 8 ½ is a new and young team, established and based in Plovdiv (Bulgaria), directed mainly to designing of conceptual projects and architecture and interior ideas.

The studio is established from architect Vladislav Kostadinov in the beginning of 2011 and since then based in Plovdiv. We are directed mainly to designing of conceptual projects and architecture ideas, as well as participating in international competitions. Our portfolio includes design of residential buildings’ interiors, design and elaboration of furniture, lightening and other household objects; experimenting with forms and materials in architecture, fine and applied arts, restorations and researches in architectural history and theory. We also maintaining an internet site and blog, attached to it. The main idea of the studio is to be an open platform to express views on the modern architecture, interior and product design. Since 2016 there is also office in Milan, Italy.

Is architecture art? And if so, what? Yes … architecture is an art. Whether it is frozen music? Or sculpture with function … and maybe a picture in space?
Architecture for us is cinema. The architect is the director of your film. The interior design is our set design. Our philosophy is expressed in three words and an exclamation point after them – La dolce vita! We are writers of your dreams. As maestro Federico – design for us is life.
Design in everything and everywhere. Dreams, dreams, reality. Design of the choice of location for your dream house – directing the view from the window in the morning. Design of the building – architecture with soul and feelings. Interior design – all to the last nail is our duty and pleasure. Designed for you – let us choose your equipment and if you allow … Let cook dinner for you and choose an appropriate wine.studio 8 ½ – design for life …

In 2013 our project |CON|Temporary Library was selected as a Winner in the First Architizer A+ Awards, organized in New York by one of the most popular and professional international websites – architizer.com. One year before, studio 8 1/2 was shortlisted in the European Prize for Urban Public Space Competition in Barcelona, Spain. Our project are published in the pages of big number well-known architectural magazines and books, as well as on some of the best internet architectural sites. In 2014 the prestigious magazine for European Contemporary Architecture A10, selected studio 8 1/2 as one of the top 5 up-coming architectural practices in the country.

WHY SO SERIOUS?

FUN FACTS EVERYWHERE

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BRILLIANT IDEAS

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US

Vladislav Kostadinov

Founder/CEO

Info coming soon…

Antoniya Valkanova

Creative Director

Info coming soon…

Chavdar Poryazov

Creative Director

Info coming soon…

Dimitar Ognyanov

Creative Director

Info coming soon…

WE ARE ALL EARS

ONLINE CONTACT FORM.

You can contact us easily using this online contact form. Otherwise, few pixels right you can find out physical coordinates.